Paper, Scissor, Rock

Every relationship has it's tools that help the relationship run more smoothly.

In our house its paper, scissor, rock. 

You may think of it as a child's game, but trust me, if we come to an impasse it is solved with relative ease because of it.

Can't decide who's turn it is to walk up to the shop for desert?
Kids can't come to an agreement as to what movie to watch, or what they want for dinner?
Can't pick a direction, or an event, or what form of entertainment to choose?

What simpler way to make simple (yet difficult) decisions in a way that everyone feels is fair.   It seems to help solve many of those little issues that could well become bigger if we started arguing about it.  And I love watching the boys use it as a way of bargaining and settling differences of opinion.

So I may say, "are you going up to buy chocolate?" and AB will answer "paper scissor rock" (or just put out his fist ready to start).  No arguing, no reminding each other of who's turn it is, or why the other should have to go, just 1, 2, 3, GO! and the decision is made by fate, or the gods or whatever you believe.

There is but one rule, you can never dispute the outcome.  If you are unwilling to uphold the paper, scissor, rock decision, then don't play!

What tools do you have?

And We Are Home.

3.5 days away feels like ages before you leave and no where near long enough when you get home.
Ups -
1. I got to read uninterrupted for hours
2. The kids spent just as long searching the shale rocks on the edge of the river looking for fossils
3. Chatting the night away drinking red wine and laughing
4. Sitting in the sun, watching birds, the dogs and kids play. Getting bugs out of the pool, running with the dogs, and generally being out in open spaces
5. Watching the dog swimming laps in the pool not caring about the freezing weather
6. Watching AB make a fire with the boys every night and the kids be fixated by it
7. The general sense if peace and well being that watching your family (and friends) all be in their own happy place brings
Downs -
1. Kid weeing in his sleeping bag
2. Dog vomiting on his bed, twice
3. Me spending one night with gastro
4. The cold and rain (although this was made easier by the fire and the indoor spaciousness)
5. The dog whining incessantly about being in the car, wanting to swim, swimming, being cold, not being allowed to sleep in bed with us and any other manor of dog related injustices
Three and a bit days just didn't feel like enough. I may need to impose on out friends again soon. I am glad to be home, but I'm sure I would have been gladder had I had a few more days to rest, relax and feel free :)

Watching - the world pass me by

Listening - kids playing, dogs whining, people laughing and the tension in my back releasing.

Reading - Game of Thrones, 4000 ebook pages long. I may be reading it for a while.

State of mine - I had a wonderful time but a few extra day would have been great. There were a few bits and pieces I didn't get to finish ... My book for one.

Hit the Frog and Toad.

We are heading out of Sydney for the Queens birthday long weekend. As always when getting ready to go away, I'm slightly apprehensive. How will the kids cope with the longish drive? or more accurately how will we cope with what the kids dish out on the drive? Will the dogs get car sick again? What will the weather be like? Will everyone 'gel' so that we actually get to relax and chill out?
We will have to wait and see. The car is packed to the rafters with a random assortment of clothes (from swimmer to thermal underwear), bedding, toys, books, art supplies, food, dogs beds and anything else I though we may need over the next few days. We 'could' have packed lighter but realistically it will be easier to relax if we have everything we need.
We are about 1/3 of the way through the drive, kids have eaten all their food, dogs have finally stopped whining in anticipation, we've stopped once for petrol and twice for someone needing the toilet.
So far it seems like my idea of the perfect family mini break. Wish us good weather, vibes and food!!
Xx

Watching - The road...

Listening - Kids quietly bickering.

Reading - Traffic signs.

State of mind - So glad to be getting out of Sydney for a few days.

Follow up on the Apocolypse

Just in case you thought that I was the only one who thought about this whole apocalypse thing.  Here is a link to an article '5 Scientific Reasons a Zombie Apocalypse Could Actually Happen'.

PS.  Mostly this shows that I am not the only one who's brain goes off in these fanciful directions.

The Apocalypse Plan

I've been on zombie kick recently. It was unintentional and sort of crept up on me.  Before I knew it I was watching zombies on TV, reading zombie comics and falling asleep reading a zombie book. No need to mention that afterwards I felt a little tense. Every bump, scratch or creak was enough to give me the heebie jeebies.

And so I lay awake wondering, do you have an apocalypse plan?

A while ago I wrote a post on what end of the world movies have taught me. But thing that didn't come up is how do you make it through the first few days/weeks.

With fear of sounding like some conspiracy theorist (which I promise I am not) crazy stuff can happen. A few years ago I was sitting at home with my two young babies and there came a news report that there was a suspected terrorist plot to blow up something in Sydney. And I thought ... What if?

Now I wasn't about to run out and stock up on canned goods and bottled water. Or build a self sufficient bomb shelter. But it did make me think. 


Then we had the whole swine flu / bird flu epidemic (I use that term loosely) and again I thought ... What if?

So I came up with my apocalypse plan. Just imagine, your at work, the kids are in school, hubby's on a bike trip in the mountains and KAPOW! bombs, tidal wave, meteors, zombies, deadly virus, aliens, if your even just a little into sci-fi you will be aware of how many ways the world as we know it could come to an end.  So following is my apocalypse plan:

1. If we are not together it is important to have a meeting place pre-organised.  Personally I have picked a place that is within an hours drive of home but far enough out of Sydney that we should be able to wait for a day or so for each other.  If you are separated by a lot of distance it also gives you a place to leave a message to tell each other where your heading. Obviously the most important thing is to be to try and find each other and quickly! And know your exits! Every route possible to get you from point A to point B.

2. Make sure you have a vehicle that can make it over various terrains and has a lot of space. You'd think I'd pick ABs 4wd but after some thinking my car has almost as much internal space, is a light 4wd and uses less petrol.

3. Know what to pack. Medicine, canned goods and warm clothes come first.  If it's a zombie or alien threat, then as many things that can be used as weapons as possible is high on the list as well. Sturdy shoes, blow up mattress and sleeping bags. Really you want to pack like your never coming back but also like your going to be camping for a REALLY long time. So also think of things like matches, a cooking pot, torches etc.  Lucky for us we have a great camping setup so I'd just grab all that gear.  I'm sentimental but things like photos and jewelry are completely unimportant. This is life and death :)

4. Water and extra petrol. We have a water jerrycan and a petrol jerrycan.  Fill both and use sparingly. Make sure the water is drinkable and enough to last at least a week or two.

5.  Know of all the places within a few days drive (at least) that are either self sufficient and/or enclosed. Which one you pick depends in the threat. Zombies! Gated community (heavily protected places would also do, think prisons, research facilities, army barracks)  Plague! Self sufficient communities (think solar power, tank or bore water, good farming land)

After all of that, it's luck.  Hopefully your preparation has put you in good stead. Good luck and enjoy the apocalypse!! :)

(p.s. People that know me will not be at all surprised that I have actually thought about this. People that don't ... Well now you know me better *grin* but don't worry I'm truly not a conspiracy theorist)

Watching - too many zombie movies.

Reading - too many zombie comics and books.

Listening - the national 'about today' has been played a lot over the last few days.

State of mind - to some of you, completely paranoid, to others perfectly prepared and to the rest nowhere near prepared enough.